Deanne Palmer
Between Two Rivers

encaustic, shellac and goldleaf
30 x 18 x 18 cm

The Cooks River of my 1970's childhood in Canterbury Bankstown was toxic from industrial contamination. I later moved to the Inner West where the altered banks were lined with concrete. “Between Two Rivers” holds some of this disastrous ecological history but primarily reflects prevailing remedial ideas in its need for protection and enhanced biodiversity. My work investigates the process of healing environmental vulnerability. Restoration projects act as forms of Kintsugi, or allegorically the gold that ties together broken pieces. Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of mending broken ceramics with tree sap dusted in gold. Broken objects are treated with respect and are rendered beautiful and whole again. This vessel, created from natural ingredients including beeswax, tree sap and goldleaf, illuminates the progress towards repair of our catchment. It invites us to view this change as an opportunity to expand our thinking and embrace further sustainable recovery practices